India, July 6 -- At a time when cybersecurity has moved decisively beyond the domain of technical specialists, it now sits at the intersection of national resilience, economic continuity, public trust and strategic autonomy. From phishing and ransomware to AI-assisted cyber threats and vulnerabilities across supply chains, public systems and critical infrastructure, the pressure on institutions charged with defending India's digital backbone has never been greater. It is against this backdrop that Dr Sanjay Bahl, Director General, CERT-In, and Controller of Certifying Authorities, receives the Dataquest Jury's Special Award 2025.

As CERT-In increasingly operates at the heart of India's cyber response architecture, his reflections bring t...